Course Descriptions
CRJ 103 - Constitutional Law and Rights of People
3 Credits
A study of the Federal Constitution and Bill of Rights with regard to rights of individuals participating within American society, as interpreted by leading historical and contemporary U.S. Supreme Court and N.Y. Court of Appeals decisions. Emphasis will be on the history of the U.S. Constitution including review of the diverse and varied individuals and communities that impacted and were/are impacted by the Constitution and Bill of Rights, including the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 14th Amendments. Students will analyze majority opinions to identify and evaluate ideas and conclusions as well as dissenting opinions to identify and evaluate opposing arguments. Constitutional concepts will be applied to interactions between individuals and law enforcement/governmental authorities. Using the case law method students will develop conclusions as to the legitimacy of current and historical constitutional standards governing those interactions, acknowledging the constant presence of perspective and bias.
Prerequisite(s): ENG 101 OR ENG 101/TRS 099 placement
New SUNY General Education: SUNY - Critical Thinking and Reasoning Competency, SUNY - U.S. History and Civic Engagement
Retiring SUNY General Education: SUNY-AH - American History (SAMH)
MCC General Education: MCC-SSD - Social Science and Diversity (MSSD), MCC-BCW - Writing (MBCW), MCC-CT - Critical Thinking (MCT)
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Identify and describe legal principles included in the Articles and Amendments of the United States Constitution.
2. Discuss the purpose and methods of continuously updating knowledge of changes in constitutional law.
3. Compare and contrast New York State specific constitutional rules and rights with federal rules.
4. Apply core areas of the law to law enforcement applications critical to law enforcement operations.
5. Illustrate and explain the appellate court process.
6. Utilize proper legal terminology.
7. Analyze cases using the case law method.
Use links below to see if this course is offered:
Fall Semester 2024
Intersession 2025
Spring Semester 2025